Hope
by Lolieta19
Summary: Based after the episode where Cassie and Adam drink the elixir. Cassie remains despairingly in love, and Adam only feels a hollow emptiness in regards to her. Can they overcome the effects of the elixir and embrace their destiny once more?
1. Chapter 1

Adam dressed slowly that morning, lost in empty thoughts. There was a shadow stretched inside him, a hollowness that had formed as if from thin air. He knew that this was the effects of the elixir, just as Cassie had informed him. What he didn't expect was to still miss her. Adam knew that he had no feelings of love towards Cassie any longer; the elixir had well and truly completed its purpose. However he still _missed _the idea of her. He couldn't quite form the words to tell her this; as he knew that Cassie felt no love for him, either. She had drunk the elixir too. He couldn't talk to Diana; things were too complicated between the two. He was alone in this; he realised, and attempted to convince himself that the feelings of nostalgia would pass with time. They had saved a member of their circle, and it had been a necessity.

Cassie stood in the grand bedroom of her grandmother's home, bathed in the warm sunlight glowing through the large window. She brushed the last, solitary tear from the corner of her damp eyes, promising herself that it would be the very last tear she would cry that day for Adam Conant. She didn't want him to realise that the elixir hadn't worked on her, and this resolve formed her determination to appear as nonchalant as possible. She smoothed out the creases in her creamy blouse, letting it lie almost floatingly over her faded denim jeans, and made her way over to the boathouse to meet the circle.

When Cassie arrived, she found herself facing the rest of the circle. They were waiting for her in silence, it seemed. She marched over, eyebrows furrowed in sheer determination. Adam was watching her expectantly, she noticed, but his eyes were empty of emotion. He was a ghost to her now. She took a deep breath, and forced herself to think about her current task.

"_Finally, the Queen bee." _Faye drawled, rolling herself into a mocking bow.

Diana rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue. _"What did you need to talk to us about, Cassie?"_

Cassie looked round at them all, her circle; her friends. Even selfish and naïve Faye was included. She would do everything in her power to protect them all. And hadn't she? By proving her loyalty to the circle by sacrificing her and Adam's love, their destiny? She had saved Jake, and as she thought about this, she cast him an uncertain glance. He looked himself, although slightly cheerier. He was gazing at her intensely, and she felt her face redden. Faye glanced from Cassie to Jake, her expression showing open jealousy.

"_We need to plan." _Cassie began, _"I think my father is up to something. After what he did last week to help save Jake…" _She paused, glancing at him once again. He inclined his head towards her, urging her to carry on. _"I know I should trust him, but I don't. He comes back now of all times? There has to be a reason, something he's hiding." _She finished, staring at the group defiantly.

Adam watched the exchange between Cassie and Jake with confusion. Not at what he was seeing, but the way he felt about it. He knew that Jake was in love with Cassie, and he'd finally admitted to himself what he'd been refusing to see when he loved her; she had feelings for him, too. And yet Adam didn't feel jealous, he merely felt solemn and helpless. He glanced upwards at Cassie, to look for some sense of reassurance from her. He didn't know what he was looking for particularly, but he needed to know that she felt the same way he did. He needed to know he wasn't the only one feeling lost and alone. He barely heard Faye's lashing comment.

"_Daddy issues, not boyfriend issues today?" _Faye smirked, glancing back and forth between Adam and Jake. Diana bowed her head and diverted her eyes to look at her fingernails.

Cassie felt her chest heave, Faye had no idea. She couldn't empathise. She heard Jake clear his throat loudly.

"_Give it a rest Faye, today isn't about your jealousy." _Jake glared at her. Faye looked shocked for a moment, before recomposing herself smoothly, ready to launch into a new sarcastic attack.

"_How about we talk about our current problem?" _Diana cut in, shushing everybody with her tone of authority. _"Cassie, do you have any idea what he would be up to?" _

"_All I know is that he came back for the medallion, and when he found out that I'd destroyed it, Adam saw him searching for something in the abandoned house." _She paused thoughtfully. _"He doesn't have magic; maybe he's looking for a way to have it again? The medallion would certainly give him that, although I'm not sure why he waited until now to come back for it." _

Cassie glanced around at the group; they looked as exasperated as she felt. None of them really _knew _John Blackwell. The best they could do was hope that their instincts and planning proved to be correct. Melissa's eyes suddenly brightened, as though something had only just occurred to her.

"_You said he doesn't have magic, Cassie?" _Melissa asked animatedly. Cassie nodded assent. _"Well, what if he came back because he sensed the medallion being activated? You yourself said that you felt a clear connection to him when that happened." _She finished enthusiastically. It was clearly their best bet. The remainder of the group nodded in sudden agreement, an air of excitement and possibility coursing through them.

"_It makes sense." _Faye muttered, watching Melissa curiously.

"_It more than makes sense! Think about it, if Cassie's father doesn't have magic-"_ Cassie flinched. _"If he doesn't have magic, then why would he return for the medallion before it was activated? He couldn't have done it himself, nor could he have got help. Everyone thought he was dead. His best bet was to wait and hope that the next generation of the circle would activate it." _Adam finished proudly, exulting confident triumph.

Cassie observed him, her face threatening to break into tears once more. She couldn't stand this. Surely Adam must realise that Cassie was still every bit in love with him as she had been before she drank the elixir? Nothing had changed for her, unless you counted her true happiness being traded in for despair. In that moment, he caught her eye and they gazed at one another in remembrance. Was she imagining it, or did he look solemn, too?

Diana looked at them both for a moment, understanding their pain entirely. They weren't the only ones who had sacrificed their love for the good of somebody else in the circle. Diana had done so for Adam and Cassie's sake, and she didn't regret it. The way they looked at each other was beyond logical reasoning, beyond anything she'd ever known. It was stuff of the movies, and that was what she wanted for herself, not to merely live in the shadow of it.

"_So we watch him. That's the best we can do for now. Cassie will obviously be in charge of this, being the one who has the most contact with him." _Diana stated, rising from the table.

Cassie nodded in agreement. _"I'll watch him." _She vowed, sharing a smile with Diana.

"_Okay, can we go now? Lee is expecting me." _Faye smiled flirtatiously, also rising from the table.

Most of the group left simultaneously, until it was just Adam, Cassie and Jake who remained behind. Jake was watching Cassie intently. She turned to face him.

"_I'm staying." _She muttered. His face was blank of emotion, but he nodded in acknowledge and exited the boarding house. His large black boots made dirty footprints as he trudged along, and Cassie didn't think he'd done it accidentally somehow.

"_I need to talk to you." _Cassie and Adam both blurted out at the same time, and laughed nervously. Cassie waited for Adam to speak. When he didn't, she muttered; _"Jinx, you go first." _

Adam was drinking her in, she looked tremendously beautiful. She was draped in a cream blouse that finished just below the button of her washed out jeans, and Adam found himself admiring the way the outfit looked on her. He admired it, but that was all. He couldn't find his feelings anymore, and it frustrated him. He _wanted _to love this beautiful girl, so why couldn't he? Her eyes were glazed, as though she was attempting not to cry. She brushed her golden hair back from her face distractedly, and Adam realised she was waiting for him to speak.

"_I miss you." _He murmured. Cassie looked up to meet his eyes; there was a furious hope radiating from her. _"I miss you, but I can't love you." _He continued. The hope that had risen in her eyes died once more, and it confused Adam. She'd drunk the elixir, too.

"_What is it?" _He asked, walking over to her in two long strides. He stroked her hair reassuringly, and pulled her into his arms. There, Cassie felt she was home.

"_Adam, the elixir didn't work on me. I didn't want to tell you but now I realise that I have to. I can't pretend that I don't love you anymore." _She whispered, tears falling from her blue eyes. There goes the promise of not crying again today, she thought bitterly to herself, and sank deeper into the familiar comfort of Adam's embrace. He was quiet for what felt like a lifetime to Cassie, until finally she raised her head to look at his face. It was pained.

_"We'll figure this out, Cassie. I don't know how, but I swear to you that we will." _He vowed; his eyes ablaze with a fire that gave Cassie hope once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Cassie glanced at herself in the mirror as she waited for Adam's arrival. She looked changed, somehow. Her face was evidently more resolute, and a light seemed to shine from her eyes. She recognised this as a mixture of hope and determination. Adam wanted to figure this out, and so did she. The elixir had stripped him of his love for her, but not his memories. He still remembered how it _felt _to love her, and she was certain that he wanted to again. They, together, would make it happen. If they really were written in the stars, it would take more than a silly elixir to make Adam lose his connection to her.

Just then, Cassie caught sight of Jake's reflection in her long mirror. He was standing relaxingly against the window frame, unabashedly watching her. She felt guilt flame through her entire being; when Jake had left, she'd known that she had some sort of confused feelings for him, but they were gone now, evaporated. She still cared for him, but that was all. Cassie turned to give him a slight smile, before moving out of sight of his intense gaze.

Cassie almost felt Adam's presence before he knocked at the door. That was good, she thought, they still had some sort of connection. She ran down the stairs two at a time, excitement and possibility bubbling through her. It was only once she'd swung the door open, so manically that she was sure she could almost tear it from its hinges, that she felt the emptiness envelope her once more. He was there, framed in all of his candescent beauty, and yet his eyes still conveyed no emotion. He was there in theory, but not reality.

"_Cassie." _Adam murmured huskily, clearing his throat. He passed by her raised arm held as an invitation, and brushed against her slightly. He felt a sharp tingle, almost painfully shoot through his arm. He looked at her quizzically, had she felt that, too? It was almost like they were starting afresh.

The shock in Cassie's eyes informed him that she had also felt it. Her lips arranged themselves into a slight smile. _"I guess all hope isn't lost." _She whispered almost inaudibly.

Cassie closed the mahogany door, and turned to face her soul mate. _"How do we do this?"_ She asked determinedly. _"How do we make you love me again?"_

"_I think…" _Adam began, watching her intently, _"I think that the best way is for me to just fall in love with you all over again." _

Cassie stared. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't something as simple as this. She'd presumed that since it was magic that had caused their demise, magic would be what solved it once more.

"_But will it be the same?" _She asked, feeling moroseness arise inside her.

Adam's eyes were as hard as stone as he thought intently. _"I'm not sure." _He finally replied. _"But it's our best shot, isn't it?" _He asked, grasping her hand in his. The warm sensation of his lingering touch spread like wildfire from Cassie's hand to her heart. She could almost see their souls connecting before her. It couldn't be that difficult for him to fall in love with her again, could it? As she watched, Cassie saw a dawning comprehension fall onto Adam's features, a recognition of sorts flickered in his wide eyes, replacing the ghostly look he had worn just seconds before.

"_I can still feel you, Cassie. It's like you're still trapped underneath my skin. I can feel you, but I can't reach you."_ He exclaimed, clinging to her hands desperately. He felt lost, too.

"_Then search, Adam. Try to feel the feelings you associate with me. Please." _She begged unashamedly. She needed to feel him close once more.

Cassie broke away from their interlocked fingers to pull his face down to hers. Her hands wove through his hair, feeling its softness caress her fingertips. She kissed him suddenly, helplessly, as though they're lips contained magnets that could no longer resist one another. She thought this would help her _feel _his presence again, but it was gone. Cassie had the image of trying to find somebody who was right there in front of you, yet somehow still out of reach. She was kissing a stranger. She broke away feebly, and stepped back from him.

"_I'm trying, Cassie, but it's like there is a barrier between me and my feelings. I just can't access them. All I know is that I desperately want to." _Adam muttered weakly.

Well, that was something, Cassie thought. At least he wanted to love her again. She thought she could work with that, as long as her emotions didn't get the best of her. It would be so easy to give up; rather than face the pain that would submerge her every single time she felt Adam's ghostly presence.

"_I'm going to talk to my dad." _Cassie announced suddenly, surprising herself. The idea had come from nowhere. Adam opened his sculpted mouth to interrupt, but Cassie continued on; _"I know I said that I don't trust him wholly, and I don't. But he was the one who knew about the elixir, Adam. Maybe he knows of some way that we can be together without the curse hanging over our heads? Maybe he knows a way that you can love me again." _She finished feebly. It was a desperate attempt, and she knew it, but what other choice did she have?

Adam looked defeated, and an unwelcome thought suddenly occurred to Cassie. Why hadn't her grandmother told her about the curse before that day? Mrs Blake had certainly known that Cassie and Adam were spending time with one another, and she was a clever woman. She would have put two and two together. Cassie was certain that the grandmother she knew wouldn't have deprived her of such crucial information. Cassie voiced this to Adam, who nodded animatedly, an idea suddenly occurring to him.

"_Your grandmother's mind isn't right at the moment, is it Cassie?" _He asked intently, she nodded. _"Well, it would be easy for someone to mess with it, change memories or maybe even create new ones." _His eyes flickered menacingly.

Cassie struggled to match his quickening thinking. _"You think that someone faked the curse?" _She whispered guessingly. He nodded in agreement. _"Why would they do that?"_

"_It would have to be someone who didn't want us to be together." _He muttered thoughtfully. His eyes drifted over to the house on the right. Cassie followed his gaze incredulously.

"_You think Jake did this?" _She exclaimed. _"No way. He wouldn't put himself in that kind of state just to force us two apart." _Cassie was sure Jake wouldn't do anything like that, and besides, how would he know a spell like that? It would take more than a few years of practice to be able to successfully convince the rest of the circle and John Blackwell that he was dying because of some curse. And Cassie was sure that Jake didn't know any memory charms, let alone a hugely powerful one that must have been used to alter her grandmother's mind.

"_He loves you." _Adam said blankly, as though that was reason enough.

Cassie laughed without amusement. _"He still wouldn't do that Adam, even if I thought he was capable of the spells it would take. He can't do solo magic, and I can't imagine anyone in the circle that would help him. And that doesn't explain how my father knew-"_ She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening with realisation. How could she have been so stupid?

Adam watched her questioningly, his head tilted to one side.

"_My father" _Cassie whispered. She watched the realisation dawn over Adam's face. Of course, it had to be. Hadn't the entire circle known about John Blackwell's jealousy over Ethan and Amelia? Hadn't they suspected that he had been searching for a way to use magic once more? Well, maybe he'd found a way. It made sense. Too much sense.

"_Do you think he has a crystal?" _Adam asked excitedly. To know who was behind this; was to be one step closer to the crucial knowledge of how to solve it.

"_One, or more." _Cassie muttered thoughtfully. _"Or maybe he's had magic all along. This is all hypothetical, though, Adam. We don't even know that the curse is fake, maybe this is all just us thinking what we want to think. It's a way for me to prove that my father has been up to something, and a way for us to love each other in peace." _

Adam marched over to her, closing the distance between them in one stride. _"I don't believe that." _He muttered, cupping his hands around the delicate, creamy skin of her face. He gazed into her childlike eyes. _"I don't believe that there is a curse that stops us from being together. It's our destiny, Cassie. I told you I would figure this out, and I will." _He promised, lowering his face to let his soft lips graze her cheek. Cassie whimpered helplessly, she needed this idea to be true. She suddenly found herself filled with a raw determination to help Adam prove it.

Adam turned and marched back out of Cassie's world, but she was confident now that he wouldn't stay there for long. She wouldn't allow that. She watched after her soul mate with an air of hopefulness, awareness filling her to the fingertips. Even if he couldn't access his love for her, Cassie was confident in the knowledge that he would do everything in his power to find it once more. Together, their love was too powerful to be overcome. Cassie would love for the two of them, until Adam renounced his, she vowed. Even if it consumed her.


	3. Chapter 3

"Did you know anything about the curse?" Adam repeated, staring defiantly into his father's eyes. He needed to be sure that his and Cassie's theory from last night was the truth.

Ethan sighed in defeat at his son's insistent glare. "No. I didn't." He muttered. Ethan's eyes glazed over and Adam had enough sense not to speak for a few minutes. He was fully aware of when his dad had drifted off into one of his memories. This was one of those times.

Adam had never wanted a theory to turn out to be correct so much in his lifetime. He _missed _Cassie. He missed being close to her, loving her and most of all; the way he felt when he was with her. Just as he'd told Faye and Melissa a few days previously, he'd felt that in the few weeks Cassie and himself had given into their love for one another; he'd had a taste of heaven. He'd felt that for just one moment, his life might turn out differently to the man's he stared at now. Adam wanted nothing more than to be the opposite of his father, not because he didn't respect or admire him, but because he could never become what his dad had. He could never simply let Cassie go to another man, not when they belonged together.

Adam's thoughts had just drifted to Jake, when his dad spoke up once more.

"Adam. I _knew _Amelia. With such love came no secrets. If there was a curse, she would have told me about it. I don't believe it for one second." He exclaimed intensely.

Adam ignored the sudden erratic beating of his heart; he didn't want to get his hopes up.

"What if Amelia just didn't want to hurt you?" Adam asked reluctantly.

Fear flashed over Ethan's face for a moment. Fear of Amelia keeping something from him, Adam realised. He almost regretted asking the question, but he had to know.

"No." His father stated after some time, reassurance rising in his eyes. "Amelia was smart, Adam. She'd have known that by keeping something so huge from me, that she would be hurting me anyway. She may as well have just told me."

"But then why did she leave you for Blackwell?" Adam asked tactlessly.

Ethan raised a hand to his chest reflexively as if he'd been punched. Adam felt himself flush with guilt of his lack of tact. "I still don't know. All I know is that she regretted her decision, and we were going to leave together. Blackwell didn't like that; he assumed that because of us, the circle would be left defenceless." Ethan gazed over Adam's head in remembrance.

Adam nodded, pleased with his father's response. Jealousy and fear were exactly the kind of motives that could lead to Blackwell's destruction of the Conant/Blake destiny.

"Is it possible that Blackwell could have faked the curse, that he could have forced me and Cassie apart because of his jealousy?" Adam asked hopefully.

Ethan's eyebrows furrowed in concentration for a moment, before he met his son's eyes intently. "It's possible, but I don't think so."

Adam felt his stomach drop, felt his heart falter a little inside his chest. His dad had been his best bet, he _knew _Blackwell, and even he didn't think that he had faked the curse.

"I think" his father continued, reaching out a hand to grasp his son's shoulder, "that Blackwell faked the curse, but not out of jealousy. What reason would he have to be jealous of yours and Cassie's relationship?"

Adam opened his mouth to speak, to voice the fact that Blackwell seemed like just the sort of person to sabotage his and Cassie's relationship because of the past, but his father interrupted.

"The past may have had some motive in his plans, but it wouldn't have justified what he did. John Blackwell is not that petty. He is, however, proud and respectful of the circle. It's possible that he sabotaged yours and Cassie's relationship for exactly the same reason he was scared of mine and Amelia's." His father finished, allowing Adam to catch up mentally.

"For the fate of the circle…" Adam realised. Of course it was. Blackwell had been so intent on the circle remaining together, that it seemed like a perfectly sound reason to keep Adam and Cassie apart. Blackwell wasn't willing to risk the past repeating itself.

"For the fate of the circle." His father nodded in assent, hope visible in his eyes. He wanted more than anything for his son and Cassie to prevail through everything, even John Blackwell and his vengeful schemes. He wanted Adam to be everything he hadn't been; strong, brave and proud.

Adam exclaimed his thanks and rushed from the room, fingers already excitedly dialling Cassie's number, to tell her of this newfound information. Their theory was stronger than ever, now all they had to do was prove it.

The phone he clutched tightly in his hand rang three times before he heard Cassie's familiar voice flooding through the speaker.

"Adam." She acknowledged simply.

"Cassie! I've just spoken to my dad…" and with that, Adam delved into a recollection of his fathers and his conversation from a few moments before. He didn't pause to give Cassie the opportunity to reply, he needed to get everything he'd learned out in the air, before he forgot anything important. When he'd finished, he was met by dead silence on the other end of the phone.

"Cassie?" He spoke confusedly, "Did you hear that?"

Even in his excitement, Adam couldn't mistake the shrill sound of Cassie's scream from afar. A loud bang followed, possibly a door being slammed, he hoped.

"Cassie!" Adam shouted, already searching for the keys to his pick-up. He found them in record time, put his phone on speaker in case Cassie returned, and drove speedily North to her house.

Adam had never felt so helpless in his life, to not know what was happening and unable to do anything about it. He let these thoughts consume him and drive his anger as he approached the house he was looking for. He could drive there in his sleep.

He fled from the car, tripping over the hem of his torn jeans in his rush to aid Cassie. He could swear that he almost felt her presence inside the house for the first time since he'd drank the elixir. He could feel her tremendous fear, and he sped up.

As the heavy door swung open, Adam spotted Cassie sitting on the stairs. Something was wrong, she was as still as a statue; her eyes fixed upon a point ahead of her that Adam couldn't see. He strode over to her, taking her hand in his.

"Cassie?" He begged, shaking her. Her eyes remained unfocused from him. "Cassie! What is it? What's happened?"

Silently, Cassie raised her arm and pointed to the dining room behind him. Adam felt his heart speed up as he turned to what she was pointing at. John Blackwell lay on the dark wooden floor, unconscious. His arm was twisted in a stomach-curdling position, and Adam diverted his eyes. He knew what the loud bang he'd heard at the other end of the phone was, now. Subconsciously, he felt himself back away from Cassie ever so slightly.

"He's alive, just." Cassie stated calmly. She was still in the possession of her dark magic, Adam realised. He always knew when she'd just used it, as she spoke with a chilling tone, a tone that conveyed she had undeniably enjoyed using it.

Suddenly, Cassie gasped and reached for Adam. "I didn't mean to!" She yelled, as though trying to persuade herself, not Adam. "He came in as you were finishing your story, and I just… I went mad." She finished weakly.

"You heard my story?" Adam asked, needing her to share his hope.

"Yes." She nodded, "but when I saw him, my father, I just cracked. After what you'd told me, and hearing your voice… the thought that my father had put Jake's life at risk, had given us a potion to forget our love for each other _just _to keep us apart." Cassie shook with her rising anger.

Adam took her in his arms, cradling her. She still felt like a stranger he was encircling, but that made him only pull her closer to him. He whispered soothingly in her ear.

"It's okay Cassie, it will be okay." He rested his head against her forehead, feeling her warm breath on the side of his neck, enveloping him.

"I attacked him. I couldn't stop it, Adam." Cassie whimpered, and Adam felt cool tears against his cheeks where she'd begun to sob.

"He's okay. He's just unconscious." Adam muttered; that was the least John Blackwell deserved for what he had done to Cassie and Adam.

"If I can't control my emotions, I could hurt anyone!" Cassie exclaimed. "Even you, Adam." She struggled against his grasp, edging away from his touch.

Adam laughed scornfully; the idea was impossible to him. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Then you're the biggest fool of them all." Cassie murmured, but she moved closer to him once more, and Adam ignored her comment.

The two sat in those positions for some time, Adam comfortingly stroking Cassie's left shoulder until her breathing relaxed once more. She was calming down, but the tears still fell helplessly from her damp eyes. She pulled Adam closer to her still, and buried her head in his chest.

"I miss this." She whispered, almost inaudibly. "I love you, Adam."

Adam felt his breath catch in his throat. He was in torment. He remembered the way that he'd felt about Cassie; it was _more _than love. It was a necessity. Loving her felt like the air he breathed, as simple as exhaling. He remembered it, but he didn't feel it. He couldn't return her sentiment without lying to both Cassie and himself.

"I know you don't love me" Cassie muttered "but you will again."

Adam hoped she was right, but he remained silent. He kissed the top of her head comfortingly. It was the best he could do right now. He caught the familiar smell of strawberries in her hair and allowed himself to revel in its comfort.

A movement ahead caught Adam's eye. Blackwell's fingers were twitching ever so slightly. He was waking. Cassie seemed to notice the movement too, for Adam felt her tense readily. Adam looked down at her, reassurance in his features, only to find a hard resolve in her usually wide, childlike eyes.

"Let's see what daddy has to say."


	4. Chapter 4

Cassie glared through squinted eyes as her father woke confusedly. She thought back to the crushing feeling of her dark magic just moments before, pressing on her to give in to it. The temptation was growing ever stronger, and Cassie was becoming less and less opposed to it. Even now, she felt its darkness circling inside her, ready and waiting to make another appearance. Preventing it took every single ounce of her willpower, but she couldn't help but quiver with anger.

John Blackwell stood slowly, his eyebrows arched sternly as he cast a look to his daughter and her companion.

"What did you do, Cassie?" His voice broke with hurt, or anger. Cassie found it difficult to tell them apart with Blackwell.

"The question is; what did you do?" Cassie interrogated, moving closer to the dark man standing before her. The man she still couldn't see as her father.

John Blackwell's face drained of emotion for a moment, before he recollected himself as though the moment hadn't passed at all.

"I don't understand." He murmured, his voice rising. "You attacked me, Cassie."

Cassie's anger rose even higher at his accusatory tone; and she felt Adam's fingers press into her hand warningly. It worked some, Cassie felt reassured and more relaxed at his mere presence.

"I attacked you because I have dark magic inside me, dark magic that I can't even control all because of you." Cassie's voice shook with emotion. She wasn't even sure why she was bringing this subject to attention, all she knew was that she felt like every single bad thing that had happened to her was because of the man before her. It might be false blame, but Cassie simply needed something or somebody to blame.

"You attacked me because of our dark magic heritage? If I could take it away from you, I would, Cassie." Blackwell muttered, his eyes staring intently into hers.

"Just like you took Adam away from me?" Cassie stammered. She felt Adam tense beside her, his fingers tightening on hers. She knew without asking him that this wasn't the approach he would have taken himself, but Cassie was blunt.

John Blackwell's face darkened. "What are you talking about?"

"You faked the whole curse to keep me and Cassie apart. We want to know why." Adam spoke up, following Cassie's lead of a blunt approach.

Cassie watched as a variety of emotions flickered across her father's face. She saw flashes of anger, defiance and sadness cross his features.

A resolve settled itself there. "How could I fake something like that with no magic?" He asked, raising his eyebrows defiantly.

Cassie had heard and seen enough. She was convinced her father had faked the whole curse before he'd uttered a word, and now she'd heard him and seen his body language, she was convinced even more so.

"I don't know how you did it, but I know you did. Now I want you out of my house." Cassie scowled, she'd had enough.

Blackwell looked as though he was about to speak, but Adam gave him a look so stern that he thought better of it. He sighed and gave Cassie a sad look, before departing through the large mahogany door.

Cassie let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding, falling back into her former sitting position on the bottom step of her staircase. Adam paced back and to in front of her.

"I know he did it, Adam. I can feel it." Cassie murmured, resting her throbbing head in her pale hands.

"I do too, but how, Cassie? How could he have done that with no magic?" Adam asked, his forehead straining in deep thought. Cassie gave herself a break and let herself simply look at him. He was beautiful, there was no denying it. His shock of dark hair lay finely against his pale skin, falling onto his forehead ever so slightly. Hair that just now was being run through stressfully by Adam.

Cassie sighed and forced herself back to reality. "What if he still has magic?"

Adam paused in his pacing to cast Cassie an unknowing glance. "How could he? The elders stripped our parent's circle of their powers."

"Think about it, Adam" Cassie began, sudden realisation dawning on her. "My father has dark magic, magic that's completely unpredictable. The stripping of their powers might not have ridded him of that dark magic."

Adam pondered this quietly for a while. "It's a possibility." He surmised.

"Do you think there's a counter-spell?" He asked after some time.

Cassie felt hope bubble inside of her, but forced it back down. She wouldn't build herself up to get disappointed, but if there was even a remote chance she would take it. Her life hadn't felt the same since the distance began between Adam and her.

"I don't know. I hope so." She murmured, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over.

Suddenly Adam was beside her, so quickly she hadn't even seen him move. He reached over to stroke her golden hair gently, before laying a hand across her soft cheek. Cassie leant into the rare offering of comfort thankfully.

"I hope so too." He whispered into her hair. His lips grazed Cassie's forehead, and she supressed a shiver. This wasn't making her yearning for Adam any easier.

Cassie felt the buzz of Adam's phone against her leg and sighed. She didn't want this rare moment of closeness to be interrupted. She knew that Adam didn't love her and that he was simply being comforting, but it ebbed away at some of the loneliness inside Cassie.

"What is it?" Cassie asked as Adam stared at his phone tensely.

"It's my dad. Blackwell just went to the boathouse." Adam whispered huskily.

Cassie felt herself become more alert instantly. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"He's okay, but he's asked me to come home. I better go." Adam muttered, stuffing his phone back into the pocket of his dark denim jeans.

He leant to kiss Cassie's forehead once more, just as she raised her head to say goodbye. Instead of meeting her forehead, Adam's lips met Cassie's gently and passionately. Their lips entwined and moved in harmony with one another's. Cassie gave an involuntary sigh at the familiar sensation of his lips against hers. This was _home _to her.

Adam broke away all too soon, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Cassie nodded silently as she watched Adam exit. She couldn't speak yet; she was still in shock at the sensation of closeness with Adam.

Adam drove to the boathouse quickly. Something had definitely seemed off about his father's text, and he needed to know what had happened as soon as possible.

He sped through town, avoiding the congested routes, until he arrived at home. His weariness increased as he spotted the entrance door hanging open slightly. Adam's father was careful; he'd never leave the door to his business open like that.

"Dad?" Adam yelled as he ran through the open door, skidding on the wooden floor slightly.

He stopped dead at the sight that met him. Ethan lay completely still on the floor. Heart racing, Adam sprinted across the room to his father's figure. He felt himself relax as he saw the movement of chest that meant his father was still alive, just unconscious.

"That was quick." A deep voice announced from behind him. Adam span on the spot to look at the figure the voice had come from, his stance had taken on a fight or flight appearance.

John Blackwell stood in the shadow of the bar, explaining why Adam hadn't spotted him when he'd first entered the boathouse. As Adam watched, Blackwell strolled forward, flipping an object in his hand.

"I think it's time we had a talk, man to man." Blackwell stated, and Adam heard the unspoken threat behind his comment. His figure became clearer as he edged out of the shadows, and Adam stared furiously at the object in his hand.

It was his father's phone.


End file.
